Astronomy Henge Stone

Most everyone has heard of Stonehenge, the stone circle in England that has been portrayed as an astronomers' tool, a grave yard, a druidic sacrificial altar, and even in some movies and television programs as a portal to other dimensions and other worlds. But although famous, Stonehenge isn't unique. There are other such stone circles all over the world, many containing one astronomy henge stone or even an entire grouping of them. The term henge is derived from the Old English word, henge, that became part of the Stonehenge name. Oddly, henge doesn't mean circle or even stone, it means hang. It refers to the Stonehenge site specifically as horizontal stones were hung around the circle by placing them on top of vertical stone pillars. Eventually there was no need for hanging, the name was applied to any similar stone formation. But a henge only refers to stones set within an earthen circle. Without the earthen circle, either raised or dropped to be lower than the surrounding ground, it isn't a henge, but rather a stone circle.

While many of these stone henges, including the famous Stonehenge, were used as burial grounds and sacrificial sites, almost all of them have some element related to astronomy. Even today scientists marvel at the precision contained within these structures. Many of these stones followed phases of the moons or marked the sunrise and sunset at certain key times of year. There were even tiny openings that would direct the sunlight on key areas at the right time of the year. There are many exact ratios and aspects built into Stonehenge. Whether they were built in from the beginning or added at a future time is of little importance. They're still amazing.

A lesser known but no less spectacular henge is the Avebury Henge located in Wiltshire. It encloses an entire town, Avebury, and is surrounded by a host of smaller stone circles. It is believed that this henge had astronomical purposes as many of its stones, now mostly fallen, had positions that corresponded with key phenomenon. But it also had a relationship to ancestral and gender worship as the stones come in two main types - tall, slender stones and short, squat stones - that may have represented female and male archetypes. A number of people disagree, claiming the stones were simply selected for their general look, with nothing to do with men or women or ancestors.

Some may think it would be cool to steal an astronomy henge stone to use in their home. Not only would you never be able to lift them, they aren't really important when taken away from their setting. Try painting an image of one instead.